Pichon, Dolan and Stamp win funny books awards

Liz Pichon, Emer Stamp and Elys Dolan were today (14th February) announced the winners of this year’s Laugh Out Loud Book Awards (known as the Lollies) for funny children’s books.

Pichon was given the prize for ‘Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13 year olds’ for Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (Kind Of), published by Scholastic, whilst Emer Stamp won the award for a funny book for  6-8 year-olds with The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig (also published by Scholastic). Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory by Dolan (OUP) was the winner of the ‘Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book’ prize.

The winners were chosen by school children from across the country from shortlists put together by judges from the book trade, the media and teaching.

Head of the judging panel Michael Rosen said: “It’s fantastic to see the huge engagement from schools and children for the Lollies. The books that children have chosen are all worthy winners but even more importantly, it’s provided a focus for children to read for pleasure and discover the joy that funny books can bring.”

Scholastic created the Lollies in 2015 after the Roald Dahl Estate announced they were closing down the Roald Dahl Prize for funny books and this year’s winners were announced at a ceremony at Park Primary School in London, hosted by judge and CBBC presenter Katie Thistleton. The ceremony, which was live streamed to schools in the UK and Ireland, also featured live performances from Michael Rosen and poet Paul Cookson.

This year’s awards were sponsored by sponsored by Happy Monkey Smoothies and supported by media partner PopJam, whose app was used by school children to vote.

The 2019 shortlist in full:

Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book:

Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory by Elys Dolan (OUP) - winner

The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright and Jim Field (Hachette)

Oi Cat! by Kes Gray and Jim Field (Hachette)

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt (PRH)

Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8 year olds:

Barry Loser and the Birthday Billions by Jim Smith (Egmont)

The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp (Scholastic) - winner

There’s a Werewolf in My Tent! by Pamela Butchart and Thomas Flintham (Nosy Crow)

Lyttle Lies: The Pudding Problem by Joe Berger (Simon and Schuster)

Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13 year olds:

Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (Kind Of) by Liz Pichon (Scholastic) - winner

My Mum’s Growing Down by Laura Dockrill and David Tazzyman (Faber)

Uncle Shawn and Bill and the Almost Entirely Unplanned Adventure by A. L. Kennedy and Gemma Correll (Walker)

Football School Season 2: Where Football Saves the World by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton and Spike Gerrell (Walker)